Spherical and circular ball-like and disc-like play objects that are adapted to be tossed or bounced by one person and caught by another are well known in the art. Baseballs, basketballs, volleyballs, tennis balls and flying discs are but a few examples of such play objects. For use by younger children, these play objects are normally composed of softer rubber or plastic materials so as to be easily tossed, bounced and caught by a child without injury upon impact with the hands or other parts of the body. Certain round playing balls have imitation stitching embossed on the surface to simulate a baseball, and to provide aerodynamic forces to the ball when tossed through the air. However, the aerodynamic forces acting on the play object are usually insufficient at low flight speeds to provide an interesting trajectory to the play object.
When the play object is in the form of a spherical ball, if a child to whom the ball is tossed misses the ball, the ball will continue to roll away from the reach of the child. In most cases, the child will not retrieve the ball, causing an interruption in the play of the game with the child.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a tossing, bouncing and catching play object which includes appendages extending therefrom to provide unique aerodynamic forces to the play object when it is tossed through the air or bounced, such that the flight of the play object is unpredictable and fanciful.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a tossing, bouncing and catching play object which has appendages extending therefrom, which could be in the shape of an animal's limbs such as frog legs, or any other fanciful shape, to make the flight of the object more attractive to children.
Another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a tossing, bouncing and catching substantially round play object which will not roll away from a child when the play object lands on the floor near the child, making it easier for the child to retrieve the play object.
Yet another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a play object having appendages in the shape of animal limbs or other fanciful design extending therefrom to provide aerodynamic forces to the play object in flight, wherein the play object is covered with pliable loop-like elements which are adapted to engage pliable hook-like elements on a hard receiving surface, such that the playing object becomes removably attached to the hard receiving surface.